As it happened: All Whites v New Caledonia

Related

Keep up to date with live updates as the All Whites take on
New Caledonia for a place in the Oceania Cup final.

Full-time New Caledonia 2 New Zealand 0 Ricky Herbert and the All Whites will be disappointed in
that performance. New Caledonia dominated much of the possession
and came away with the win. They will progress to take on Tahiti
thanks to goals scored by Bertrand Kai in the 59th minute and
Georges Gope-Fenepej 1 minute into extra time. Full match report
and news video track to come.

90+1min New Caledonia 2 New Zealand 0 And that it folks. First minute into stoppage time and
New Caledonia score a beautiful goal through Georges Gope-Fenepej
.

86min New Caledonia are stalling as they walk to every stoppage
in play. The clock is continuing to count down as New Zealand try
to score in the final minutes.

83min New Zealand will need to spark some magic if they want to
level the scores. The New Caledonian goalie goes down after a
collision with Chris Wood

79min New Zealand is unable to convert a corner kick into
points as play resumes in the middle of the pitch.

76min Fancy footwork by the New Caledonian striker is unable to
be crossed in as Gleeson scoops the ball up with ease.

73min Drinks and oranges break at 3/4 time. Score remains 1-0
in favour of the New Caledonia side as plays resumes from a Gleeson
goal kick.

Advertisement

71min A through ball by New Caledonia is pulled up for being
offside. Gleeson will clear it into the oppositions half.

69min Corner kick from the All Whites is deflected by the
keeper and play is back into the New Zealanders half

68min New Zealand stop yet another attacking play from New
Caledonia down the flank. Throw in All Whites.

66min A prime goal scoring opportunity is missed by the All
Whites as Michael Mcglinchey's shot hits the cross bar.

63min Ben Sigmund receives a yellow card giving New Caledonia
another chance from the corner kick to score.

59min New Caledonia 1 New Zealand 0 Bertrand Kai scores a lovely goal off a free kick. Lovely
chip over the keeper sails into the back of the net.

57min A lovely through ball by Bertos sees the ref call a free
kick. Scoring opporunity by the All Whites saved by the keeper.

53min Bertos is down as the medical staff run on the field to
attend to him. He took a nasty shoulder to the back of the head.
Free kick NZ.

49min New Zealand seems to have all the possession early in the
second period. Another cross is scooped up by the keeper and
cleared into All Whites territory.

46min Chris Wood has a header for an open goal off a corner
kick but it flies over the cross bar, well missed opportunity for
the Kiwis.

45min The second half is underway, looks like the New
Zealanders want to put pressure on early with a throw in deep in
New Caledonia's half.

Half-time NZ 0 NC 0 A reasonable first half from both teams. New Caledonia
has dominated possession but the All Whites have had their fair
share of opportunities. Smeltz was unable to convert a header in
the 35th minute of the game. Some brilliant plays by the New
Caledonians as well, with a back flick pass going on to hit the
side post early in the match. The game is anyone's with the second
spell underway shortly.

43min New Zealand saves a cross that bounced over the keepers
head. Ricky Herbert's team escapes a close call.

41min New Caledonia has a free kick but it is swallowed up my
Gleeson, wasted opportunity.

39min The game seems to have evened out now. The All Whites
have had some excellent scoring chances but haven't converted any.
New Caledonia are on the attack but some brilliant defence has kept
them at bay.

35min
A beautiful cross finds Smeltz for the header. Unfortunately he
over ran it forcing the shot off target.

33min
Desperate defence save New Caledonia as players scramble for the
ball in the penalty box off a Mcglinchey corner.

31min
New Zealand finally get the ball out of their half and have a
corner kick straight away.

29min
Play resumes. New Caledonia have the throw in and an attacking
opportunity.

27min Drinks break at quarter time. Still no goal but New
Caledonia have most of the possession.

25min Another scoring chance goes a miss for New Caledonia as
Gleeson scoops up an approaching shot.

24min New Zealand seem to be on the back foot and the New
Caledonians have a scoring play that goes wide of the goal.

20min All Whites look to have a scoring chance thanks to some
brilliant footwork from Bertos.

17min McGlinchey has a free kick just outside the penalty box;
Smeltz is pulled up for being offside.

15min New Zealand is defending well and now have an opportunity
on attack.

12min Still no score. New Caledonia dominating the match in its
early stages.

8min A shot put forward by New Caledonia hits the side post,
NZ escape what should have been a goal to Bako.

7min New Caledonia has the corner as Sigmund shuts down the
attacking play.

4min Excellent scoring opportunity for the All Whites lost.
Counter by New Caledonia see them with a free kick in New Zealands
half.

3min An early opportunity for New Caledonia as Georges
Gope-Fenepej has an early shot. Gleeson is all over it.

2min The match has kicked off and both teams are getting a
feel for each other. The All Whites have opted a 4-3-3 formation
while New Caledonia have chosen to play 4-4-2.

Pre-match

A line-up of familiar faces may be what the All Whites need to
secure a spot in the final of the OFC Nations Cup when they take on
New Caledonia today.

Coach Ricki Herbert rested senior players Ivan Vicelich, Chris
Killen, Shane Smeltz and Michael McGlinchey along with Ben Sigmund
for their final pool match against the Solomon Islands on
Wednesday, allowing them to recover be focused for the business end
of the tournament.

New Zealand also welcomes back defender Tony Lockhead who was
suspended for one match as a result of yellow cards.

New Caledonia finished runners up to Tahiti in their Pool A
draw, giving the team an extra days rest ahead of conflict with the
All Whites.

The extreme heat that has so far overwhelmed the tournament will
not be a big factor today with cloudy conditions forecast and a
mild high of 28 degrees.

Striker Shane Smeltz will be looking to continue his recent form
against the French-Polynesian side, having scored twice in their
last two meetings.

They last met in late 2008 in the final group matches of Oceania
World Cup qualifying. The All Whites clinched the OFC Nations Cup
with a 3-1 win in Noumea and backed it up in Auckland a few days
later with a 3-0 victory.

The winner will progress to the final where they will take on
Tahiti, who upset the host nation Solomon Islands 1-0.

The four semi-finalists have already qualified for the next
stage of World Cup qualifying but the winner of this tournament
will qualify for next year's lucrative Confederations Cup in
Brazil.